Lodging  & Transportation Information

Deep Valley, as Betsy-Tacy fans all know, is the fictional name for Mankato, the birthplace of Maud Hart Lovelace, and the magnet which draws her fans to Minnesota.

While you can’t bunk down in Betsy’s attic or Carney’s sleeping porch, there are plenty of other lodging options for you.

Listed below are a few web links, addresses, and phone numbers for Mankato hotels as well as some suggestions for transportation to Mankato from the Twin Cities.  You may also want to access the Mankato Visitor’s Bureau website for further information, and to order a packet of information.

Please be aware of each establishment’s cancellation/refund policy before you book a room.

In Mankato:

Hilton Garden Inn:  20 Civic Center Plaza, Mankato, MN  56001   Phone:  507-344-1111    fax:  507-344-2129 

The Hilton Garden Inn is BT Convention Central!  The Betsy-Tacy Convention rate is $89 per night (excluding applicable state & local taxes, fees and assessments) for Thursday, July 19, 2012 through Sunday, July 22, 2012.  If reserving by phone, ask for the Betsy-Tacy Convention rate.

You can book online at the convention hotel web page by clicking here.

Other lodging options (not all these hotels have specific Betsy-Tacy Convention rates, so check rates/fees/policies carefully):

Mankato City Center Hotel:  101 E. Main Street, Mankato, MN  56001    Phone:  507-345-1234   fax:  507-345-1248  Until a convention web link is provided, call and ask for the Betsy-Tacy Convention rate (around $105/night, excluding fees/taxes). 

This hotel is adjacent to the Hilton Garden Inn, and is connected to it by a skyway.  It is the old Holiday Inn, and in a previous life was the site of the Saulpaugh Hotel, which Maud Hart Lovelace memorialized as the Melborn Hotel in the Betsy-Tacy books.

AmericInn of Mankato:  240 Stadium Rd., Mankato, MN 56001  Phone:  507-345-8011, toll-free:  800-634-3444 

Best Western:  1111 Range Street, Mankato, MN  56003  Phone:  507-625-9333   fax:  507-386-4592

Country Inn and Suites:  1900 Premier Dr., Mankato, MN 56001  Phone:  507-388-8555    toll-free:  888-201-1746  fax:  507-388-0780

Microtel Inn & Suites:  200 St. Andrews Drive, Mankato, MN  56001  Phone:  507-388-2818  fax:  507-388-2541.

In Minneapolis:

The DoubleTree Hotel, Bloomington:  7800 Normandale Blvd., Minneapolis, MN 55439  Phone:  952-835-7800.  The Betsy-Tacy Convention rate for Wednesday, July 18, 2012 is $125/night (excluding fees/taxes).

Transportation

Our goal is to offer a car-less Convention for those flying into Minnesota.  The DoubleTree Bloomington Hotel has a complimentary airport shuttle service.  Once you’re at the hotel on Thursday, July 19, the convention bus will pick you up at the DoubleTree Bloomington for the Minneapolis tour, and will stop at the DoubleTree again before heading to Mankato.  (This information is also listed on the Registration Info page.)

Of course, If you decide you’d rather drive yourself, the airport has the usual car rental companies so make sure you book ahead.  

Another option may be Land to Air Express; check their website for routes, rates, and schedules.  Again, please be aware of all refund/cancellation policies, how often trips are made, etc.